Saratoga doesn't need casino, Lake George mayor says

LAKE GEORGE -- Village Mayor Robert Blais says Warren County is "perfectly situated" for a Las Vegas-style casino and that Saratoga Springs doesn't need such a venue.

However, Blais said he's unsure whether he is in favor of having a casino in Lake George and that he wants Warren County's Board of Supervisors to join in studying the issue.

Lake George is one of several sites mentioned for a non-racetrack casino if a constitutional amendment is approved allowing for them.

"The gambling train is coming," Blais said Sunday on the WCKM radio show Insight. "Are we going to get on or watch it go by? I think we'll probably have one in this area. Warren County is perfectly situated for it. I don't believe they (Saratoga Springs) need anything else."

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo has touted full-blown casinos as a way to boost state revenues and bring jobs and economic development to depressed areas of the state.

Saratoga County has New York's most thriving local economy. In addition to its new $4.6 billion computer chip plant, manufacturer GlobalFoundries recently announced plans for a $2 billion research and development facility that would bring another 1,000 jobs to Luther Forest Technology Campus in Malta.

Saratoga Casino & Raceway officials have already spent about $1 million drawing up plans to convert their "racino" into a full-fledged casino with an array of table games staffed by live dealers.

A bill in the state Legislature would allow for up to seven casinos in New York. However, Saratoga could become a victim of its own success, as Cuomo and state lawmakers might be roundly criticized by other regions if Saratoga, which is already thriving, is awarded a full casino.

Blais said a casino has obvious revenue benefits. However, he said he's unsure about potential downsides, such as problem gambling and its effect on local families.

On another tourism note, Blais said he supports developer David Kenny's plan to build a block-long, eight-story Marriott Hotel on Canada Street in Lake George, the village's main drag.

Blais said the project would generate enough tax revenue to pay for much-needed wastewater treatment plant upgrades that will protect the lake's water quality.

Kenny, who owns the Inn at Erlowest, a Queen Anne-style castle on Lake George, wants to build a Marriott on the west side of Canada Street directly across from the Lake George Public Library.

The hotel would create 74 full- and part-time jobs.

"It's going to be very difficult to pass up a developer like him," Blais said.

However, because of the project's proposed height, it requires Adirondack Park Agency approval. Several years ago, the APA approved a height variance for a Fort William Henry Hotel expansion.